It remains one of the fiercest rivalries in ACT Premier Rugby history, and on Saturday afternoon at Viking Park, another chapter will be written.
Canberra Royals, the competition's most successful club by historical titles, square off against the Tuggeranong Vikings, a club that has cemented itself as a dominant post-season force in recent years.
The last time these two sides collided on Grand Final day was 2024, when the Royals came out on top.
This time around, the dynamic shifts.
Royals have had to fight their way through the knockout stages to earn a meeting with the competition's undisputed form side.
That form tag has been thoroughly earned by Tuggeranong. Young flyhalf and fullback Oscar Shaw, the 2026 Macdougall Medallist, guided the Red Men to a strong start to the season with his sharp decision-making and tactical boot. In the midfield, centre Andrew Robinson, this year's Anderson Trophy recipient for sportsmanship, has provided a steady hand supporting the young flyhallf throughout the campaign alongside, top point scorer for 2026, winger, Pelasio Samuelu Niuula.
Falling short in the 2025 decider clearly motivated the Vikings this season.
Tuggeranong's regular season was marred by just two defeats: a loss to the Queanbeyan Whites in Round 7 that snapped an early winning streak, and a 36-19 loss to the Gungahlin Eagles in Round 14.
Outside of those results, everything went their way.
Finishing as minor premiers, the men from Canberra’s south secured their place in the Grand Final with a 37-28 Qualifying Final victory over Queanbeyan. Crucially, they have held the edge over Royals all year, claiming three regular-season wins in Round 4 (48-40), Round 11 (34-24), and Round 16 (48-36).
Royals' campaign, by contrast, has been a rollercoaster.
A 42-38 win over the Eagles in Round 1 was followed by back-to-back defeats against Queanbeyan and Tuggeranong in Rounds 3 and 4. Further losses to the Eagles, the Vikings again, and the Whites were scattered through the middle and back end of the competition.
On their day, however, Royals have been a match for anyone.
They closed out the regular season with a 63-21 victory over the Western Districts Lions in Round 17. Even in defeat, they showed they could match the competition's best, going down by a single point, 40-39, against Queanbeyan in Round 14.
That resilience carried the Blue Baggers through the sudden-death rounds.
Steered by flyhalf Chace Oates and the elusive Jarrah McLeod, the side held on for a 39-29 extra-time win over the Eagles in the Elimination Final, before a 37-21 dismissal of Queanbeyan in the Preliminary Final sealed their sixth BentSpoke John I Dent Cup Grand Final appearance in ten seasons.
Royals head into Saturday having gone 0-3 against Tuggeranong during the regular season. Yet when trophies are on the line, finals footy remains their specialty.
Can the Red Men convert their minor premiership form into a title on home turf, or will Royals secure one more Grand Final victory?
Head down to Viking Park on Saturday, August 29 at 4:00 pm to find out.
